For as long as anyone can remember, people in power have dodged charges of malfeasance by countering that the allegations were “politically motivated” rather than outright true.
From flight upgrades to payoffs to residency issues, Nevada’s seen its fair share of uses of this excuse in the last year. Here’s a small recap from 2007.
LVMPD Captain and Nevada System of Higher Education Regent Stavros Anthony
What he may have done: According to an anonymous tip, Anthony allegedly used his badge to get an upgrade to business class on a flight to Canada in August.
What he said: “It was an anonymous complaint right at the same time that I started saying I was running for City Council, so it was pretty coincidental. I don’t see why else it would happen.”
Status of the charges: Dropped.
Did he do it? A Metropolitan Police investigation found that Anthony had received the “gift” and said he wouldn’t do it again. He also admitted to doing it on other department-related flights around the country.
Were the charges actually politically motivated? Anyone’s guess. Anthony could be a shoo-in for a City Council seat in 2009, which may make him a target.
Irony factor: Anthony had to leave a position as head of Metro’s Internal Affairs division to face the allegations.
Local political blogger and columnist Chuck Muth
What happened: An anonymous complaint to the Reno Child Protective Services spawned an investigation into how the conservative pundit practices family values in his own home.
What he said on his blog back in November: “My wife and I are currently in a battle royale over a malicious, and possibly politically motivated, ‘child neglect’ complaint filed with our local Child and Family Services folks.”
What he said to the Weekly after the complaint was dropped by Child Protective Services earlier this week: “I have no idea who filed the report. I tend to not think it was politically motivated [anymore], though.”
What really happened according to the C.P.S. report Muth finally got: “[Someone saw] our children playing outside without shoes on for weeks, and that’s where the complaint came from.”
Why Muth should advocate building a taller wall around his house rather than in Mexico: “[The allegations came] probably from a nosy neighbor.”
Former County Commissioner Lynette Boggs
What she allegedly did: She was caught on tape living in a house that wasn’t in her represented district while running for re-election, then lied about it to a grand jury.
What she said: “No comment.”
What her attorneys said: “No comment.”
Did she do it? Or was it just politically motivated hogwash? We’ll know when the case goes to trial some time this year.
Who made the tape? Members of the culinary union and the local Police Protective Association.
Why? She pissed off the wrong people. The culinary folks were mad because she was a board member for the anti-union Station Casinos. The cops were mad because she opposed a contract that ensured significant raises.
Were the charges political? Absolutely, even though Boggs lost her re-election bid in 2005.
Coup de grace: Boggs already lost her seat on the commission and had a nasty divorce. Now she faces prison time for perjury and filing false documents.
Gov. Jim Gibbons
What he allegedly did: Took money from friend and defense contractor Warren Trepp to get Trepp’s wares approved for a lucrative black-budget military contract worth millions of dollars.
Who broke the story: The Wall Street Journal.
Who’s investigating: The FBI and Department of Justice.
What Gibbons said: “I have heard that the Democrats have paid to have these Wall Street Journal articles written.”
Did he do it? Classified. Under federal law, information about military spending for top-secret programs is not available to the public.
Are the charges actually politically motivated? Considering the Wall Street Journal’s right-leaning editorial stance, more than likely not.
What else could possibly go wrong? He could be dealing with a more than $400 million state-budget shortfall, and have UNLV students jeer him at the winter commencement ceremonies.